Outdoor power device internal cooling system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10369672-B2
Application number	US-201214436579-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 19, 2012
Priority date	Oct 19, 2012
Publication date	Aug 6, 2019
Grant date	Aug 6, 2019

Abstract

An electric power device may include a casing, a motor disposed within the casing, a control unit, and an air channel. The motor may be configured to operate a working implement of the device and may include a motor housing having at least one outlet through which air cooling the motor exits the motor housing. The air channel may be configured to enclose the at least one outlet of the motor housing. The air channel may provide a passage for the air drawn from outside the casing and through the motor housing out of the casing via an exhaust outlet disposed in the casing at an end of the air channel.

First claim

That which is claimed:

1. An electric power device comprising:
a casing;
a motor disposed within the casing, the motor being configured to operate a working implement of the device and including a motor housing having at least one outlet through which air cooling the motor exits the motor housing, the air drawn from outside the casing, into the motor housing, and passing through the motor housing to the at least one outlet;
an air channel enclosing the at least one outlet of the motor housing, the air channel providing an enclosed passage for passing all the air exiting the motor housing out of the casing via an exhaust port disposed in the casing at an end of the air channel, said air channel being arranged to ensure that the air is channeled out of the electric power device while avoiding any recirculation of the air within other portions of the device inside the casing; and
a control unit positioned within the air channel and configured to provide control over operation of the electric power device, wherein the air passing through the air channel cools the control unit prior to exiting the air channel.

2. The device of claim 1 , further comprising a battery compartment configured to house a battery for powering the device, the battery compartment being disposed within the casing of the device.

3. The device of claim 2 , wherein the air drawn into the motor housing is preheated by cooling the battery of the device.

4. The device of claim 1 , wherein the casing comprises a plurality of body portions, and wherein the air is drawn from outside the casing exclusively through gaps between the body portions or otherwise formed in the casing.

5. The device of claim 1 , wherein the casing comprises a plurality of body portions, and wherein the air is drawn from outside the casing through gaps between the body portions and through at least one air inlet provided specially for drawing in sufficient air.

6. The device of claim 1 , wherein the air is drawn from outside the casing through at least one air inlet provided specially for drawing in sufficient air.

7. The device of claim 6 , wherein the at least one air inlet is less than about 15 cm 2 in size.

8. The device of claim 1 , wherein air passing through the motor housing and the air channel transports motor wear products out of the casing to inhibit entry of the wear products inside the casing.

9. The device of claim 1 , wherein the air channel is arranged to extend in a direction and the exhaust port is oriented to exhaust heated air in the direction the air channel ends, wherein said air channel ends at a side, bottom, or back of the casing.

10. The device of claim 1 , wherein the working implement includes at least one cutting blade.

11. The device of claim 1 , wherein the device is a hedge trimmer or a handheld device.

12. The device of claim 1 , wherein the motor is a DC or a brushless DC motor having a fan to facilitate movement of the air into the air channel.

13. The device of claim 1 , wherein the air drawn into the motor housing is preheated by cooling a gear assembly of the device.

14. The device of claim 1 , wherein the air is drawn into the motor housing from two opposite directions and wherein the at least one outlet of the motor housing is disposed to direct the air into the air channel in a direction substantially perpendicular to the two opposite directions.

15. A method of cooling an electric power device comprising:
drawing air from outside a casing of the device into the casing;
drawing the air into a motor of the device;
cooling the motor by passing the air through a motor housing containing the motor through at least one outlet formed in a body of the motor housing; and
passing all the air exiting the at least one outlet into an air channel that encloses the at least one outlet out of the casing via an exhaust port disposed at an end of the air channel,
wherein a control unit is positioned in the air channel and the air passing through the air channel cools the control unit prior to exiting the air channel.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising passing the air drawn into the casing proximate to components inside the casing before the air enters the motor.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein:
drawing air from outside the casing of the device comprises drawing the air into the casing through an inlet disposed proximate to a rear handle of the device; or
drawing air from outside the casing of the device comprises drawing the air into the casing exclusively through gaps between body portions of the casing or otherwise formed in the casing; or
drawing the air into the motor comprises drawing the air into the motor housing from two opposite directions, wherein the at least one outlet of the motor housing is disposed to direct the air into the air channel in a direction substantially perpendicular to the two opposite directions.

18. An electric power device comprising:
a casing comprising a plurality of body portions;
a motor disposed within the casing, the motor being configured to operate a working implement of the electric power device and including a motor housing having at least one outlet through which air cooling the motor exits the motor housing, the air drawn from outside the casing exclusively through gaps between the body portions into the motor housing and passing through the motor housing via an outlet in the motor housing; and
an air channel enclosing the outlet of the motor housing, the air channel providing a passage for passing the air exiting the motor housing out of the casing via an exhaust outlet at an end of the air channel, the exhaust outlet being disposed in an exterior surface of the casing proximate a hand guard of the electric power device, the hand guard being disposed between the working implement and a handle of the electric power device,
wherein the air channel channels the air out of the electric power device without circulating the air within other portions of the casing.

Assignees

• Husqvarna Ab

Inventors

• Bergquist Oskar
• Steen Stefan

Classifications

• B25F5/008 Primary

  Cooling means · CPC title

• B23Q11/127 Primary

  for cooling motors or spindles · CPC title